The Huntress Omega

INGRID.

The faces in the castle were a blur as I weaved between them, balancing a tray of wine glasses. My focus was divided: half on serving and half on listening. Each snippet of conversation was a thread I might pull later. Land disputes, territorial skims, whispers of alliances–nothing was too small to note. If I could use any of it against Vesarius Rage, it could be the leverage I needed.

But then my focus faltered. Magnus Marshall. The Alpha of Ironclaw is making things difficult for me, it's impossible to concentrate.

I hadn't noticed him at first, but those lingering eyes of his were on me wherever I went. The moment they stepped out of the meeting hall his eyes were locked on me as if I was prey. His presence was as commanding as the Alphas in the room but still not as close to Rage's, it was way too different, as if I'm comparing a fox to a bunny.

Where Rage exuded cold, quiet authority, Magnus burned hot, his energy vibrant is what made him shine. His golden-brown hair was swept back, his sharp blue eyes scanning the room like a predator surveying its next meal.

I turned quickly, feigning focus on the tray in my hands. I didn't have time for distractions, and Magnus Marshall's presence screamed distraction in this room.

I slipped into a quieter corner, setting down my tray to take a moment and breathe. The corridor outside the hall was dimly lit, the flickering torches casting elongated shadows against the stone walls. I leaned back, letting the cool surface ground me.

The sound of boots echoed down the corridor. Steady, purposeful. I stiffened, my breath hitching as the shadow turned the corner. It was him.

Magnus Marshall–tall, broad-shouldered, and utterly intimidating–strode toward me with a predator's grace.

"You're difficult to find," he said, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down my spine.

I straightened, masking my unease with a polite smile. "I wasn't aware anyone was looking for me, Alpha Marshall."

His lips curved into a faint smirk, but his eyes remained unreadable. "Magnus will do." He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming in the confined space. "And you are?"

"A servant here, nothing more," I replied, keeping my voice steady.

"Nothing more?" He tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over me in a way that felt far too intimate. "You're strange. The smell of pheromones in you is. . .to die for."

My stomach tightened. I knew he had noticed me, but hearing him acknowledge it sent a wave of unease through me. "I believe it's not necessary, Alpha."

"You're not from here." His voice was smooth, confident, and too close. "You're not part of his pack, are you?"

I straightened, schooling my expression into something neutral before turning to face him. "I'm just a servant, Alpha. I'm here to serve him. . ."

His smirk was slow and deliberate like he found my words amusing. "A servant who catches the eye of the most dangerous wolf in the room?"

I didn't respond, simply dipping my head as if his words didn't sting. But he didn't let me escape so easily. He can't read a room, can he? I'm brief with my answers, hitting him to know I'm uncomfortable with his presence yet he's still annoyingly lingering.

"You didn't answer my question," Magnus pressed, stepping into my space. "Where are you from?"

"From Ashenfall," I said, my tone clipped. 

Magnus chuckled, the sound low and rich. "Ah, Ashenfall? It's my first time hearing about that place." He reached out, his fingers brushing against my wrist before curling around it. "Care to tell me more about it?"

My eyebrow narrowed, his words hitting me like a thunderclap. My breath caught, and curiosity sparked in my chest. Don't tell me. . . they don't know about the village Rage has been hiding in? My heart raced as the pieces clicked together. I thought they were only being hidden to protect them from the vampires, but now. . . now I'm starting to wonder.

Is Rage keeping them secret from his kind too? From all the other werewolves? But why? Why would he go to such lengths for. . . humans?

My thoughts spun out of control, a storm raging in my mind. If I give this man, Magnus, the secret Rage has been guarding with his life, what will happen? Every Alpha out there is desperate for power, and there's nothing they'd love more than to see Rage fall.

If they find out he's hiding humans in his territory–this isn't just about power anymore. It's betrayal. Treason. They'll come for him, all of them, and they won't stop until he's destroyed.

His voice rang in my ear as he grabbed my wrist, causing me to jump back to reality. "What's your name?"

"I. . . I don't think that's relevant, Alpha," I said, trying to pull my hand back without making a scene.

Magnus tightened his grip just enough to stop me. "I think it is."

"Please, let me go," I said quietly, my voice calm but edged with steel.

"Why should I? You intrigue me." His eyes gleamed with mischief. "What are you? An omega?"

He even stepped closer, closing the remaining space between us. I was almost taken aback and flinched when his fingertips encircled the white patch that was on my chest. "And what an interesting birthmark you have here. I feel like I've seen it before. . ."

My breath was caught in my throat. "Please–"

"Alpha Magnus."

A voice suddenly emerged, it was like a blade slicing through the moment–cold, sharp, and commanding.

Both Magnus and I turned to find Rage standing a few feet away, his expression carved from stone. Strands of his dark hair are falling on his forehead, and his sharp features are illuminated in the faint light. He looked every bit the Alpha he was, powerful and unrelenting. His darkened blood-like eyes flicked to where Magnus still held my wrist, and to his fingers on my chest, as if those stares would rip the hands of whoever was touching me.

"You heard her."

Magnus hesitated for only a moment before releasing me, his smirk unwavering as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Come on, man. Relax. I was only talking to her."

"That's the problem," Rage said, stepping closer. "You're allowed to talk to my people but you certainly do not touch them."

"She didn't seem to mind," Magnus countered, his tone light but his gaze challenging.

For a moment, I thought Magnus might push back. His smirk faltered, his gaze narrowing as he weighed his options. But then he stepped back, his hands still raised.

"Fine," Magnus said, his tone mocking. "No harm meant. It looks like I'll be coming here more often. . . " He glanced at me one last time before walking away, leaving a trail of tension in his wake.

I exhaled my chest tight from holding my breath. Rage's eyes found mine, and the weight of his gaze pinned me in place. I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to remain steady. "Thank you," I mumbled, flashing a small smile on my face.

For a moment, he said nothing, his silence more unnerving than any accusation. Then, to my surprise, he reached out, his hand brushing against my wrist where Magnus had grabbed me earlier, his thumb traced the faint red marks left behind. His touch was light but sent a jolt through me all the same.

"You shouldn't let them touch you," he said softly, his voice almost protective.

I pulled my hand back, the sudden intimacy of the moment catching me off guard. "I–I didn't have a choice. I can't afford to cause a scene."

His brow furrowed slightly as if he didn't believe me. But he didn't press the issue. Instead, he gestured toward the doorway. "Go back to your quarters. I don't want you here for the rest of the evening."

I bristled at the command. "I still have work to do, Alpha."

"I said go. It's a command." His tone brooked no argument, and though it grated against my instincts to obey, I nodded and turned to leave.

As I turned my back to him, I couldn't shake the feeling of his eyes on my back. Rage had stepped in to protect me, but it wasn't out of kindness. It was control. Everything he did was calculated, every move a piece in a larger game I didn't fully understand yet.

But if he thought I would be scared off so easily, he was wrong. Tonight had given me more than I expected. Magnus Marshall's attention was not what I anticipated, but he can be useful. Rage stepping in made me lose all my composure.

His touch was certainly unwelcome.

My hand traced the wrist he held earlier, I can still feel his warm fingers on it. Rage. He was still a mystery, one I intended to unravel, piece by piece.

What I just discovered keeps me wide awake, my mind racing with questions. I'm lying on my back, staring at the ceiling, but my focus is on the dagger in my hand. The blade catches the faint glow of the moonlight filtering through the window. My hand felt the cold handle as I gripped it, feeling its deadly edge as I tossed and turned it in my grip.

I wonder what will happen.

If they find out he's hiding humans on his territory, it won't just be a scandal it'll be a death sentence. They'll unite against him, a pack of wolves driven by greed and vengeance. They'll tear him apart piece by piece until nothing is left. And the village? Those people he's been protecting? They'll be caught in the crossfire.

I could just sit back and watch hell break loose. And watch all of them do the work for me. However, for some reason, something is holding me back, something I can't quite understand.

Guilt? Pity? Empathy?

The question wasn't just whether I could give Magnus this information. It was whether I could live with the bloodshed and chaos that would follow.